Motion Computing F5 review

Tablet PCs have failed to ignite the passions of consumers worldwide, but for professional markets, they're still a popular alternative to a traditional laptop. And it's a niche which Motion Computing ably occupies, specialising in producing Tablet PCs targeted at vertical markets and professional applications such as hospitals, schools and field work.

Like the rest of Motion Computing's range, the F5 doesn't adhere to the usual Tablet PC blueprint. Instead, Motion Computing refer to the F5 and the rest of its range as Slate PCs, which do away with the keyboard and pretty much any vestige of standard laptop design.

Indeed, prise the F5 from its packaging and its eye-catching light grey and cream exterior immediately sets it apart from your average Tablet PC.

It certainly looks a little odd, but it's designed with practicality, not looks, in mind: the square frame easily accommodates the 10.4in display while leaving plenty of room for a big, solid handle.

The handle might make the F5 look a little too much like some kind of high-tech Speak 'n' Spell, but that's part of its appeal. Whether you're holding it in the crook of an arm, or just carrying it from room to room and job to job, the comfy handle means you don't need to carry a laptop bag everywhere you go.

And thanks to the decision to do without a keyboard and internal optical drive, the F5 is still brilliantly portable, weighing in at just 1.57kgs. That might sound a touch porky when set against the likes of Sony's super-svelte VGN-TZ31 or Toshiba's Portege R500 ultraportables, but whereas those laptops would find life in the field hazardous to their health, the F5 feels as if it is capable of taking such dangers in its stride.

And for those that really do need a resilient and mobile companion, solidity is one area in which the F5 excels. No matter how hard we tugged and flexed, the F5s magnesium alloy skeleton shrugged off our limp-wristed attempts.

The only result of our abuse was that we accidentally unclipped the processor vent on the F5s underside, which quickly clipped back into place. And thanks to sensors which park the hard drive heads in the event of a fall, accidental knocks and drops are unlikely to result in any data loss.

In fact, Motion Computing is so confident of the durability of the F5's semi-ruggedised frame that it offers three years of "Field-Ready" warranty, insuring users against accidental drops of 30in or less, damage from heat and cold as well as dust and moisture ingress.

Of course, submerging the F5 underwater or, a direct quote from the warranty leaflet, leaving it exposed "on an oil platform in the desert", won't be covered, but the comprehensive warranty is nonetheless reassuring.

The 10.4in digitiser display is a sterling example; it's bright, vibrant and only suffers from a mild graininess compared to most Tablet PCs.

Viewing angles are phenomenal, and apart from a very slight darkening of the image when you move off-axis, the display remains clear and true whatever angle it's viewed from.

The digitiser works equally well as an input device. The supplied stylus feels great in the hand and, importantly, its substantial enough to prove comfortable when used over long periods.

As long as the tip of the stylus is within 10mm or so of the panel, it allows you to control the cursor with a graceful sweep of the hand, and it didn't take long before we altogether forgot the lack of a keyboard.